Embracing the glitches in gravity could give us a unified theory of realityMon, 28 Sep 2026 15:00:00 +0000 Physicists have long struggled with their goal of making gravity a quantum force. A radical post-quantum approach might solve that problem – and clear up other cosmic mysteries, too | |
AI finds 3D shape that fills all space with a never-repeating patternMon, 28 Sep 2026 13:00:00 +0000 A 3D shape that can tile 3D space, leaving no gaps and never forming a repeating pattern, has been discovered using an AI model. The researcher behind the findings, who has no academic background in the area, says his work has angered professional mathematicians | |
Why is this monster El Niño so strong?Mon, 28 Sep 2026 11:00:00 +0000 Though the El Niño is still months from its peak, it is already breaking many records. Two main factors are behind how it became so powerful | |
Can you hack your brain to be ultra-productive?Mon, 28 Sep 2026 08:00:00 +0000 An endless stream of distractions, from email notifications to overlapping deadlines, can make focus slip away. Columnist Helen Thomson went hunting for neuroscience-backed ways to boost your productivity | |
Blood test could gauge if a baby has a dangerous infection in 15 minutesSat, 26 Sep 2026 22:01:00 +0000 Feverish babies in hospital are often assumed to have a serious bacterial infection and are treated with antibiotics. But a test that gauges whether the infection is bacterial or viral, which tend to be milder, could prevent unnecessary drug use | |
Virtual green spaces and classical music reduce blood pressure in hospitalFri, 25 Sep 2026 22:01:00 +0000 Watching a river flow via a virtual-reality headset while listening to classical music seems to quickly bring people's blood pressure down from a dangerously high level in hospital | |
Is China catching up to the US and SpaceX on reusable rockets?Fri, 25 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000 The next space race is not about making rockets faster, bigger or more capacious, but about reusing them reliably and cheaply. The US is well ahead, but can China catch up? | |
Anthropic’s discovery will, at best, be just another gene-editing toolFri, 25 Sep 2026 11:04:53 +0000 The AI company Anthropic has announced that its Claude large language model has discovered a system reminiscent of CRISPR, but that doesn’t mean the Nobel prizes will start rolling in, says Michael Le Page | |
Mathematician discovers rare eight-faced shapeFri, 25 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 It isn't easy to demonstrate that a new geometric shape can actually exist in the real world, but one researcher argues that the genus-3 polyhedron can | |
The first season of Heroes is almost perfect – here’s whyFri, 25 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Starring the late Hayden Panettiere as the self-regenerating cheerleader who could save the world, science-fiction series Heroes first aired 20 years ago today. It might have gone downhill in subsequent seasons, but its first is still brilliant, says TV columnist Bethan Ackerley | |